1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to shoe insoles having pellets adhered thereon and, more particularly, to making such insoles with foot massaging and ventilation characteristics.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,400,023 to make a foot massaging device, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,490 to make a cushioned insole for insertion into footwear, and from U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,749 to provide a molded shoe insole with ventilating and massaging features. Although generally satisfactory for their intended purpose, the known foot massaging and ventilating structures are relatively expensive to fabricate and, in some cases, can cause foot discomfort due to an aggressive over-stimulation of the underside of the foot.
It is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,184 to apply a tacky adhesive, preferably a polyvinylchloride plastisol, to a base fabric material in a desired pattern, and thereupon to apply or flock a plurality of extruded, cut particles of synthetic plastic material onto the tacky adhesive. The excess particles are then removed. The adhesive is cured by being heated. The plastic particles are thus fixedly set on the fabric material. The adhesive may be applied thicker or thinner depending on its proposed use; see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,440.